COLD AND FLU PROTOCOL

This is not just what I
recommend to others, this is what I have on hand at home. -RM

First things first…Classic colds or
“rhinoviruses” predominately occur at the beginning and the ends of flu
season. For those of us in the northern
climates that means fall and spring.
Rhinoviruses are passed from nose to nose. Studies have shown that sharing a glass or
even kissing are not “highly contagious” activities. Watch for very goopy noses and sloppy sneezes
and coughs. Try to minimize exposure,
although instant hand sanitizers are popular, it is proven they do not effectively replace hand-washing. This said, some exposures are not preventable
(as a parent that raised three children I am aware of this), so the
susceptibility of the host (you and your immune system) is the most important
factor. Below are ways of keeping your
immune system strong throughout cold and flu season.

TWICE DAILY MULTIPLE by Designs for health –
this is my go-to – 1 capsule twice daily. This has no
extra Magnesium and Calcium so take that separately. I only take 1 tablet of Cal Mag 1001 as by
gut tolerates. Other people use up to 3
of these tablets daily.

DON’T be low in vitamin D
during flu season. Research is clear
that vitamin D supplementation helps prevent the flu. https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583. I take 2000 extra throughout the winter, even
though the TWICE daily has 1000 extra per day.

*Cod Liver
Oil: [Nordic Natural or Carlson] In our northern
climate, the addition of W-3 fatty acids with Vitamin A and D is an important
component of our daily diet throughout the winter. Take 1-2 tsp per day.

Take
these at the first sign of symptoms or exposure

Phytoguard
Immune Tincture: Wise Woman Herbals [code WWH-2P1CO] This
Echinacea and herbal formula is my go to formula – it has Echinacea of course,
but Osha is a botanical extract that seems to open up the ear nose throat. Take 2 ml +/- (3
squeezes of the dropper). Every 4 hours for the first 24-48 hours, then 3-squeezes
3 times daily for the next 3-5 days, or as needed. Chase or mix with water or tea.

Sambucol: Nature’s
Way [code SAM21] – This thick great-tasting elderberry extract is
indicated when a virus is active. It
appears to affect the virus by inhibiting the viral activity. The great taste allows for great compliance
with kids. – Take 1-2 TBS, 3 times per
day for up to 7 days.

Zinc
Lozenges: [code ZNL] use only if a sore throat is present – Lozenges need to contain a
certain form of

zinc
to be effective for sore throat and colds.
Use every 2 hours at the 1st sign of cold/sore throat.

EHB: IT,
Inc. (code EHB). This is a go-to
combination of nutrients and herbs for some immune support and antimicrobial
effect. Take 2, 3x/day, when needed.

-2-

Recommended Changes in Diet if you ARE
sick

Limit dairy if there is any mucous production
with the illness. Milk, frozen milk
products and excess cheese are known to be mucous producing for many people.

No refined sugars due to the drop in immune
system activity. Our immune system is
impaired by excess refined sugars, especially on an empty stomach. Avoid sweetened snacks as much as possible.

Hydrotherapy

My favorite treatment for the first sign of a
cold or flu is the “Wet Sock Treatment”.
This is one of the traditional naturopathic treatments, used for
centuries and still finds its way into virtually every naturopathic physician’s
practice. I have recommended this to
patients hundreds of times, and for both children and adults the results
continue to be terrific. The
instructions below are the same for children as they are for adults. My recommendation is if you use this therapy
for your child, you should use the treatment on the same night to better
understand the effects and benefits.

“Wet Sock Treatment”

When to use this treatment:
Whenever there is any congestion in the ears, nose, throat, or chest,
especially if sleep is interrupted or disturbed. This treatment draws the congestion and
pressure away from your ears nose throat and lungs. It has also been shown to stimulate WBC
activity, thereby providing a better night sleep and a faster recovery. Children generally sleep exceptionally well
on nights the “set socks” are used.

First:Warm feet in warm water while soaking summer-weight cotton socks in ice
water. 1st rule of
hydrotherapy is to always apply the cold part of a treatment on a warmed part
of the body. Sometimes with very young
children their feet are so warm to begin with this step can be skipped. Soak for about 5 minutes or more until feet
are obviously warm to the touch

Second:Wring out cotton socks so they are just damp to the touch and put them
on.

Third: Cover wet sock completely with dry wool socks and immediately go to bed
for the night. Wool is very important
here and should cover the cotton entirely.
Do not continue with any activity once socks are on; add extra blankets
to the bed for warm sleeping.

In the morning all socks
should be dry and warm. If cotton socks
are still wet, wring them out more and/or warm your feet more the following
night.